Round 2 – Majstorovic Magic at Yarrawonga
The 2015 Yarrawonga Mulwala Junior Open finished in style this morning as players took to the well-manicured Murray course. The Murray course meanders through the towering river gums and favours those that control the ball well from tee to green. Calm conditions again greeted players this morning with the sun making an appearance on more than one occasion throughout the day.
With many of the field struggling today, Mikihisa Matsumoto fired a brilliant two under-par 70 to complement his opening round of two over-par for a 36-hole tally of 144 and the clubhouse lead with only two groups remaining. Trailing by a single shot with only one hole to play, overnight leader Antony Majstorovic wasn’t going to let his maiden title slip though his fingers. Majstorovic held his neve coming down the 18th hole to finish with a birdie and tied for the lead with Matsumoto.
Both players, along with a 50 other onlookers gathered on the first hole of the Murray course for a sudden death playoff. Majstorovic was the first to play and nailed his drive right down the middle while Matsumoto flared his drive into the right trees. Looking stymied behind the trees, the Woodlands member struck a brilliant 8 iron over the canopies to 15 feet for an uphill birdie attempt.
Majstorovic’s 80m approach from the fairway was too strong and was left with a 30 foot putt from a few metres off the green, downhill and right to left breaking. What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary, he tapped his putt only just hard enough to make the putting surface and then the slope took the ball on a long journey directly into the cup for what was the most unlikely birdie. Matsumoto had his putt to tie but it missed on the low side leaving Antony Majstorovic as the holder of the 2015 title.
Heading into the final round tied with Melanie Foster, Kono Matsumoto broke away with the lead at the turn with a two shot buffer over the 18 year old. Kono proceeded to birdie the par 5 11th hole and then followed it up with seven straight pars to close with a level par 72 and capture victory by six strokes with a total of 146 or two over par.
It was a tight affair in the overall nett section with three players tied on a tournament total of 138, six under their respective handicaps. Making the most of the calm conditions, it was Cobram Barooga’s Jordan Bovalina who took home the honours after returning rounds of 70 and 68 from his 13 handicap.
Still on a high after scoring his first hole in one, Heritage’s Joshua Lee returned the best nett round for the tournament with a stellar 63 this morning – nine under his handicap!
Congratulations to all off the age division winners today!
The Yarrawonga Mulwala Junior Open caps off what’s been a fantastic school holiday period with many great scores and lots of new names on the podium.
Click here for the final results
Round 1 – Young Guns Battle it Out at Yarrawonga Mulwala
A record breaking 92 eager juniors teed off today on the beautiful Lake course at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club in chase for the 2015 Stuart Appleby titles. First played in 2013, the event has continued to gather momentum and provides the ideal setting to wrap up a busy school holiday period of golf along the idyllic Murray River.
Conditions were very cool early on but also calm – conducive for low scoring. The course was presented in fantastic condition with the greens were rolling true and firm.
Victoria’s Antony Majstorovic is poised at the top of the leader board after an opening round of three under par 69. Majstorovic cruised to a two under front nine with three birdies and just the one bogey. Bogeys at the 15th and 16th hole saw the 15 year olds round almost grind to a halt before he reconciled with two birdies coming home.
Majstorovic’s round today places him just a single shot ahead of Jonty Jeoffreys and two shots clear from the trio of Jack Chrystie, Jack Rasmussen and Tristan Britt.
Young gun Kono Matsumoto is tied in overall girls section with Melanie Foster after the par signed for rounds of two over par 74. Ashley Hall will be nipping at the heels of the overnight leaders when she starts a couple of shots in arrears of Matsumoto and Foster.
In the overall nett section, Antony Majstorovic and Jonty Jeoffreys are tied at 66 nett apiece. Trailing close behind on 68 nett is a cluster of five players.
Players will move to the Murray course tomorrow morning for the second and final round.
While the older players were battling it out in the 36-hole section, a small number of players contested in the SAJG Rookie Series event on the Executive course. The ever consistent Ben Powell took home the U11 boys title while Lennox Popplestone notched up another victory in the U15 boys category. Tom Jamesion booked himself a spot in the final early next year along with Alexander Kerr.
Click here for the 2015 Yarrawonga Mulwala Rookie Series results